Harrietville committee hopes to improve DEPI relations

Harrietville residents have nominated a committee to meet representatives of the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI), in an effort to improve the community's relationship with the agency.

Rebuilding the community's trust in the DEPI was one of the recommendations of a Victorian Government report, released last month, into the deadly bushfire that burnt near the town earlier this year.

The group includes six locals representing the town's historical society, business and tourism committee and social club.

The secretary of the community building initiative, Terry Wooley, says the DEPI has agreed to meet the group in the next few weeks.

"They've actually kicked it off with a very generous offer of a half-day workshop, a facilitated workshop with the group and with themselves to ... establish the terms of reference, a memorandum of understanding between the town and DEPI and maybe brainstorming a list of agenda items for the future," he said.